What super power does your disability or condition brings you ? I have adhd

[Nothingisblackandwhite]

I know mostly we speak about the negatives of disabilities but what “ super power “ does yours bring you ?
I have ADHD , it can make work harder or easier depending on the day . I work from home and manage my own team and I’ve been so hyper focused today that I did my days work by 10:30 ( started at 7 ) . Was about to progress to tomorrows work but decided against it as I have in the past had reminders not to expect others to work as fast as me . So I’m organising tomorrow work instead .
My oldest has autism and he never forgets a place , we can be years and years without visiting a country and he will still know the way around streets and can always find a car in a car park .

My Foster son has a learning disability but he's ace at cricket. He will spend hours upon hours bowling balls in a net in the garden.

I’m autistic, adhd and Tourette’s and most certainly do not have any super powers. I hate this superpower nonsense. I’m sure it comforts you but it just frustrates everyone else that is disabled by their disorders.

Agreed @fidgetcube

no super power here. Though I do feel I put in a heroic effort at appearing NT as that seems compulsory if you don’t want to be completely excluded.

I hate hate this superpower nonsense. There is no superpowers. The negatives far outweigh any positives. It may feel like a superpower in the context of everything else that is 10000x more difficult.

Christ yes! I bloody hate the superpower nonsense too.

Sometimes everything can be a real struggle, and I conceal it (ADHD/ASD) in real life and Mumsnet, because some people are too quick to label as 'weird' or similar.

But isn't everyone's experience unique to them? OP is entitled to celebrate his / her ability as well as struggling with the negative stuff.

Autistic DS who's brilliant at maths, but he has told me he wishes he wasn't Autistic. We've had to leave cut short two things in the last week he really wanted to do because he couldn't cope. We've tried to focus alot on the positives, he loves his maths brains, but he's still aware of the things he wants to do, but can't.

Other DS super smart, very logical, can see the patterns and connections in things automatically. He's always had a genius for revenge on his siblings. A super power I could certainly do without him having.

DDs super power could be masking and hiding herself, adapting herself because she doesn't want to stand out, she can shut it all right down and then collapse later. I wish they were super powers she didn't feel she needed to have. She actually likes being Autistic because finding that out helped her find herself.

I have chronic pain, the only 'super power' I've gained from that is the ability to go on functioning in massive amounts of pain 24/7. I'd happily return that 'super power'.

Regrettably my disability brings me none unless you count the ability to fall over and hurt myself frequently and to piss my friends off with constant no-shows.

I appreciate that ADHD brings with it traits that can be positive but you’ll find few people with physical disabilities going on about superpowers.

I don't talk about myself in terms as having a superpower but I don't think OP is being dismissive of the struggles disabilities and health conditions bring us, she acknowledged that we often speak of the negatives of disabilities and I got the impression she was highlighting some of the positives for herself and asking others what theirs are. I got the impression it was about lifting self esteem and not feeling shit about the things we can't do or massively struggle with.

And some conditions do make other skills stronger, I don't think celebrating or being proud of those little things are the same as saying people don't struggle a lot. I don't feel like I have a superpower, I feel like a useless and often worthless person a lot of the time due to my disabilities, doesn't mean others can't have a moment of celebrating something they've done well or are good at.

My stepdad lost his sight op, he had to rely on his hearing and other senses more and over the years became able to know when something had been moved slightly just by the echo. He could spot when my brother was lying by the way his voice echoed with head to the ground versus looking straight at stepdad. He could tell if my sister was cheating at a board game and moving six instead of three because he could hear the sound of her little counter being a further distance away than it should have been.

Would he say being blind is a superpower? No, not at all and he'd have given the world for his sight back, but doesn't mean he can't mention how his sense of hearing became his dominate way of navigating.

I have bipolar II. It makes life in general a lot harder, though I've never been on benefits and work full time in a fairly well paid, high stress job.

I think it's made me a lot more motivated and ambitious for long stretches. I also find it easier to empathise with people. When up or in remission I'm very sociable and outgoing too.

Depressive episodes are the reverse for motivation and energy, though I tend to do a lot of overtime as a distraction from the misery, so at least make money.

But isn't everyone's experience unique to them? OP is entitled to celebrate his / her ability as well as struggling with the negative stuff.

Of course OP is welcome to describe any perceived positives, which may or may not be related to their condition, as superpowers, and to celebrate that.

I detest the term, personally, as do a lot of people.

I'm with you OP. I find looking for the positives in my disabilities essential for trucking on I have a chronic autoimmune condition (over 25 years now), am bipolar and have ADHD. Whilst of course I'd like to get rid of all the fuckers I have definitely had some benefits. I am incredibly open-minded, several bouts of psychosis and months in mental hospital was very grounding and a good leveller. Psychosis whilst very hard (and destructive on my life) has been extraordinary in having in-depth thoughts.
During one manic episode I did a huge project that should have taken years but happened in months as my brain worked so fast.
The ADHD means I can multitask like a demon and hold down 3 jobs in different sectors. I never get bored at work!
The autoimmune condition is shit but has made me very resilient, tolerant to pain, and I don't find things like the pandemic or life difficulties very challenging as I know they will pass.
Obviously day to day it's all a bit shite but I would be a very different person without all my conditions.

I have ASD, ADHD, dyspraxia, Irlen syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, POTS and fibromyalgia. Unfortunately, none of those came with superpowers for me.

I didn't get the Sheldon Cooper/Temperance Brennan autism, I got the "I'm crying because there are crumbs on my feet" autism 😂

I'm disabled and also don't like this narrative (although great if works for you OP). I feel the positivity/warrior angle on disability plays down just how hard it can be in order to make it more palatable for non-disabled society. On the face of it I'm successful with a good career, but I'm severely limited in terms of choice and have to very carefully choose jobs/employers and spend my evenings and weekends exhausted.

I detest the term too. Nothing about my ADHD (even the hyperfocus - which means I often forget to take care of myself - eat properly, drink water, take my medications) is a super power.

I really do think this rhetoric does real harm to people with ADHD, ASC etc etc (as this is where you usually hear the superpower BS). If these conditions are superpowers, we don't need accommodations and support and medication. It implies we are actually more able than NTs.

These conditions are diagnosable because they have a detrimental impact on a person's ability to function. You wouldn't have a diagnosis if you don't meet that criteria. It's not a fucking super power.

None… I have a physical disability with one of my limbs and it’s purely shit. My other limbs don’t work better as a result, my brain doesn’t work better as a result, I just struggle.

I have adhd and I'm very good at problem solving!
I also work better under pressure always have.

Adding my voice to the dissent I'm afraid. As someone with a physical disability and constant pain, I am just getting through each day as best as I can.

The whole super power thing is akin to thinking that all physically disabled people could be paralympians IMHO. Sorry to burst your bubble OP, and please don't take it personally.

This new trend to turn some physical / mental aspect of yourself into a trendy identity is so bizarre to me. I am a complex holistic being. The aspects of my body and mind that have a condition or disorder are part of me, not their own identity. I have no idea really how to tease out exactly what my brain does or doesn't do because of ADHD. Everyone's brains are unique and have strengths and weaknesses. Intelligence and other cognitive factors also play a role in how one thinks and acts. I would never define myself by some sliver of the big picture. I also have a physical condition - again, it is just part of me. Born with both, they are just who I am. I have never been anyone else.

I hate the superpower thing. I spent 6 years qualifying for my dream career and then developed a disability that means I can't work in that area. Where's the superpower in that?

Was trying to talk to teen DD about an aspect of autism yesterday. I asked if we could discuss (she loathes talking about it) and she said, 'yes so long as you are not going to say anything about a f*ing superpower'...

Well my chronic migraine means I have an unbelievably high pain threshold.

Do not recommend.

Ditto. This superpower bollocks gets on my grill immensely. It's a glamourised spiel on disability.

My superpower would be if I could hear more not less.

I'm with you OP.
I have ADHD and I love that I am able to hyperfocus and I have frequent creative ideas which means I'm a fantastic entrepreneur.

This a 100%.